ADVENT ONE:DAY THREE
Theme: People – Elizabeth – Mary’s Cousin.
Elizabeth's
story has three episodes:
1 Elizabeth becomes pregnant, Luke 1:5-25.
Elizabeth was a respectable woman married to
Zechariah, a member of the Jerusalem priesthood. She was past menopause, her
husband was elderly, and she had given up hoping for child. But Elizabeth's
life took an unexpected turn. She became pregnant, to the amazement of all.
2 Mary visits
Elizabeth Luke 1:57-66.
While she
was pregnant with the future John the Baptist, she gave shelter to her young
cousin Mary of Nazareth who, pregnant with Jesus and unmarried, may have been
fleeing from the anger of her family. At their meeting, each recognizes that
they and their children will be an extraordinary part of God's plan for humanity
3 Elizabeth gives birth to John, Luke 1:67-80 .
A
few months later Elizabeth bore the son she had always hoped for. She named him
'John'. He was circumcised, and Zechariah regains his speech and hearing.
Further reading about this
extraordinary women and her story can be found at the following web page – from
which the above is acknowledged –
http://www.womeninthebible.net/2.4.Elizabeth.htm
Pause for Thought –
We find yet again a similar story of a women who
was beyond child bearing age, becoming pregnant; overtones of both the story of
Sarah the wife of Abraham and of Hannah, who gave her son to service in the
temple in the book of Samuel.
We see in the story of Elizabeth extraordinary
faith in God; knowing that all things work in accordance with the promises of
His overwhelming generosity and timing. But, in her encounter with her pregnant
unmarried cousin, Mary; she feels her own unborn child move as an acknowledgement
of the miracle of the child her cousin, was carrying. Elizabeth would give birth to a son, who we
know as John the Baptist – who became the forerunner who baptised Jesus.
So often, we want matters in our lives to be,
instant – in this story we are yet again reminded that all our requests made
known to God, are to be birthed through our faith, and its twin – patience.
Are you in your faith, patient as you wait for
your prayers to be answered?
Meditation
The theme of timely faith and patience runs
through Elizabeth’s story, in our meditation podcast we are being led into that
awesome place of stillness before God – Elizabeth must have spent hours before
God in prayer, patiently and faithfully waiting for His answer. This Christmas, as you are toss into the
chaotic commercial and busyness of the season – take some time out and
reconnect with the real meaning - Let the words in this podcast speak to you,
what are your desires, hopes and needs? Place them before God just like Elizabeth
did; learn the power of patience and faith and expect real timely answers to
your prayers in this season of busyness.
This podcast tells a lovely story of a modern
women’s trust and her ultimate recovery to wholeness, just like Elizabeth;
faith and patience were the power tools that brought the breakthrough.
What breakthrough do you need in your life this
Christmastide?
Podcast link -
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